San Marcos schools welcome students back

SAN MARCOS - The lazy days of summer are over for 16,700
students in the San Marcos Unified School District, who kicked off
the school year by catching up with friends, picking up class
schedules and shuffling to homeroom early Monday.

"I thought I was going to be late,"13-year-old Janis Jimenez
said a few minutes before the first bell rang at Mission Hills High
School.

Janis is one of about 650 freshmen at Mission Hills, many of
whom confessed to feeling a range of emotions about being on a new
campus.

"I'm a little nervous, but excited," she said, adjusting a new
book bag that was slung over her shoulders. "I'm hoping to have a
good time."

Freshman Tyler Sundelius, 14, arrived at school about an hour
early to pick up his schedule and scope out his classrooms.

"(The campus) seems pretty big and kind of confusing," said
Tyler, as he scanned the quad for familiar faces. "I just wanted to
look around and figure out where all my classes are."

Principal Brad Lichtman said he is always excited about the
beginning of a school year. Mission Hills will focus on two core
values this year - high academic standards and creating a nurturing
environment.

"We're always working on raising the bar so all our kids are
successful," said Lichtman.

New assistant principal Tim Heck directed traffic Monday as
students stopped to ask for directions to the gym or counseling
office.

"It's been a very positive, upbeat morning," said Heck, a former
history teacher and coach at Paloma Valley High School. "We haven't
had any problems at all today."

Down the street at San Marcos Elementary, children sporting new
shoes and backpacks filled with notebooks and No. 2 pencils were
accompanied by parents.

"It's important to be supportive, especially on the first day,
when they can be kind of nervous," said Ruth Martinez, whose
daughters Danielle, 11, and Amber, 7, were eager to hear the bell
ring.

"I'm not missing summer," said Amber, who is entering second
grade. "I know my teacher already."

Martinez praised the district's new elementary school start
times, which had been split between early start schools and late
start schools for years. Classes at San Marcos Elementary started
at 8:45 a.m., 15 minutes later than last year.

"The new time schedule is awesome," said Martinez. "It gives me
time to get up and help them prepare for school. We're not rushing
breakfast anymore."

Principal Candy Singh, who greeted students as they lined up on
the blacktop, said the first day of school is always the best.

"The teachers have been working all summer preparing their
classrooms and curriculum," Singh said. "We have lots of new things
for the kids this year."

One of those things is the school's theme for the year - "Tigers
bound for college" - which is an effort to get children to start
thinking about the future.

Each teacher has adopted a university for their classroom, she
said. Banners with logos for Harvard, the University of Southern
California and UCLA waved in the wind outside classroom doors
Monday.

Also new this year, Singh said, was last week's gathering of
parents and students to meet teachers.

"Teachers had an opportunity to talk with parents about what
they can expect for the school year," she said as she helped a
student find her classroom.

"That happens sometimes on the first day sweetie, don't you
worry," she told the girl.